Innocence and Ignorance
by HollyShortRulz
Summary: 200 years after the end of the Hundred Years War, the legacy of Avatar Aang and Avatar Korra lives on, in the form of the new Fire Avatar, Zhiren. However, in a world of modern advances, and new technologies, is there still a place for the Benders of old? Is there still a place for the deadly Firebender that is the Princess of Fire, Kadaria? Get too close, and you'll get burnt.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I know that I published the start of a new story yesterday, but here's the start to yet another one. Fair warning, this takes place after both the Last Airbender and the Legend of Korra. It basically follows the next Fire Avatar, after the Earth Avatar, Toran, that came after Korra. It also follows Kadaria, the Crown Princess of the Fire Nation, the great, great, granddaughter of Iroh II.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any recognisable affairs from the Avatar Universe.**

 _What was it, about the Spirit World, that terrified Avatar Toran? As the old, Earth Avatar looked around the beautiful green pastures, and odd looking trees, he knew that he shouldn't be scared of the place, and yet, at the same time, knew that it was for a very good reason that this time, this time he was scared. Terrified, even._

 _A young woman with short, brown hair, and blue eyes, with blue, water tribe clothing on swooped down to rest in front of Toran._

 _"Avatar Korra." The girl bowed her head._

 _"That is correct!" She announced, gleefully._

 _"Why am I here, Korra?" Toran asked. Korra looked down at her feet, coughing awkwardly._

 _"Aang!" She called out, into the darkness of one of the trees. The Airbender in question dropped quietly out of the tree, his red and orange cloak flicking up in the wind. "You're late."_

 _"Sorry, Korra." The Airbender rubbed his head, sheepishly. "I didn't mean it."_

 _"Why are we here?" Toran demanded._

 _"Calm down." Korra smirked. "You Earthbenders, you're all the same. You always want to get to the point, and never stop to smell the flowers."_

 _"I have never found that there is a point. You get from A to B in the quickest and easiest route possible, and the job is done." Then, Toran realised. That might be the reason that he had never been one of the more great Avatars. Why he hadn't been up there, with Korra and Aang._

 _"How very… earthy of you." Aang muttered, flicking the tip of his staff._

 _"Is it time?" Toran looked back at Korra._

 _"I'm sorry." The Waterbending avatar muttered, looking down at her feet._

 _"It never stops, does it?" Toran asked, turning away to look into the wilderness of the Spirit World. "I can never stop being the Avatar, even after I die."_

 _"No." Aang replied. "You have to mentor the next Avatar, and even then, you have to watch over all the Avatars after them."_

 _"Tell me. Who is it going to be next?" Toran asked. "I know they'll be Fire, but who? I have heard that the Fire Lord and Lady are expecting a child. Shall it be them?"_

 _"I do not believe so. It is going to be a male." Aang replied. "They will have a girl."_

 _"Lovely." Toran replied. "You know, Fire Lord Zuko II's grandfather and I never got along, because he was jealous of the fact that I learnt Fire faster than he did. When will the child find out that he is the Avatar?"_

 _"Actually, this time, he isn't going to know that he's the Avatar until he turns fifteen." Toran looked up at Aang._

 _"Why?" He asked._

 _"Well, from what I can tell, he will live a happy childhood, not having to deal with the pressures of being the Avatar." Korra replied. "It is something that none of us have experienced. It is good that he is getting a chance."_

 _"It isn't fair." Toran muttered._

 _"Existence isn't fair." Aang shot back. "You know, someone once told me that selfless duty calls us to sacrifice our spiritual needs, and do whatever it takes to protect the world. That is what it means to be the Avatar."_

 _"I was never allowed to love. I was never allowed to have a wife, because I could never find the balance. Was that why I was not a great Avatar?" Toran mumbled, half to himself. His white hair hung down in front of his face as he looked down at the ground._

 _"This boy will have a chance." Aang replied. "Katara has seen it. He is going to love, and be loved in return, shocking for an Avatar. He will perhaps be one of the greatest Avatars of all time."_

 _"Like you?" Toran asked. Aang looked away._

 _"Perhaps. But I made many mistakes. I did not see what was right in front of me, and it hurt my best friend. That was not fair." He replied._

 _"What happened?" Korra asked, looking at him._

 _"Nothing, Korra. Stay out of it." Aang shot back, at the Waterbending Avatar._

 _"Avatar Aang. What was it that you meant, when you first spoke with me after I became the Avatar?" Aang looked at him. "What did you mean when you spoke of the Lion Turtles, and that I should find them?"_

 _"You'll understand soon enough. You did not find them in this lifetime. Perhaps you will, in the next." Aang replied._

 _"Yet another thing that this next Avatar shall achieve greater than I." Korra smirked._

 _"Quit putting yourself down. That is not fair. You ended the Great Sandy War, something that I did not achieve in my lifetime. You helped make Republic City even greater, and you did not sit by during the Steam Revolution." She told him. "I am sure that those are great achievements, and shall not be forgotten soon. It is the way of the Avatar, to downplay one's successes. However, you cannot deny that they are there."_

 _"I understand that." The Avatar of Earth muttered. "I never spoke to Kyoshi, you know."_

 _"Is that important?" Korra asked._

 _"I had hoped that I would. The Kyoshi Institute hoped that I would." Toran replied._

 _"Ignore them. It is not what others hope that is important, it is what is right for the world, what is right for you." Aang said. "In my lifetime, the Fire Lord attempted to take over the known world. I stopped him, but I did not kill him."_

 _"We all know the stories. You are a legend, Aang, and I shall be forgotten." Toran replied._

 _"You shall not be forgotten. No Avatar was ever forgotten. There will always be those who remember." Korra said. "I was not forgotten, even though my achievements were overshadowed by Twinkletoes's here."_

 _"Your achievements were just as great." Aang looked at them both._

 _"You are both doing wonders for my ego." He grumbled._

 _"It's almost time." Korra ignored him. "You have one day."_

 _"I understand that." He muttered. "Will I die in my sleep? Or will someone kill me?"_

 _"You shall just have to find that out." With those words, both Aang and Korra began to fade, along with the rest of the Spirit World. They faded away, into blackness._

OOO

Avatar Toran immediately felt the aches and pains of his old bones return, as soon as he opened his eyes. He had not noticed it, but in the Spirit World, his aches and pains had halted, not hurting as much as he knew they were.

Looking up at the sterile, white tiled ceiling of the hospital room, he noticed a soft beeping. A heart monitor. Looking over at the red and black screen, he knew that his heart was slowing down. Ever so slightly, as the moments ticked away.

"He's awake…." There were whispers, now, of nurses and doctors.

"What… What happened?" Toran asked, his ghost of a voice hissing softly.

"You collapsed." Toran looked over to see the Chief of Police, Toph II, leaning over him, her brown hair falling into her face, and her milky, sightless eyes not meeting his own.

"T… Toph… What are you… doing… here?" Toran struggled out.

"I am here because you were friends with my mother. I had a duty." Toran looked away.

"Is… Is that all?" His face struggled into a smile. Everything was a struggle, now.

"Does it hurt?" She asked.

"N… No." Toran lied.

"Don't be such a stoic, gramps." She muttered. "You're always like this. It never ends well." Toran tried to grin, again, and pushed himself up into a sitting position.

"I'm… I'm the Avatar… I have to be tough… otherwise the bad guys will get out!" Words became easier, as he once more became accustomed to the pain.

"Lie down!" Toph insisted, trying to push the old man down, but he didn't comply, simply resisting the weak attempt.

"Bring me that wheelchair. I'm not going to spend the last day of my life stuck in a bed." He insisted, the pain of his lungs dulling.

"I don't think…" Toran cut her off.

"Bah!" He grunted out. "I don't care what you think."

"You're being awfully direct today." Toph muttered.

"Well, I haven't done much with my life, and I'm going to use my last day to rectify that!" He leant past her, and pulled the wheelchair over to him himself, and slid himself in, grunting.

"I don't think…" Toph repeated, trying to stop him, but failing.

"I don't care what you think." Toran re-iterated, pushing his wheelchair along. He grunted, again, realising that it was too hard for him, and flicked out a fist, causing his wheelchair to move forwards.

"Aren't you too weak to bend?" Toph asked.

"The Avatar is never too weak to bend. It's my job." He flicked out his other hand, opening the door so that his chair could slide through. The chair rocketed down the corridor of the hospital, the blind Chief of Police running after him.

"Avatar Toran! It isn't safe!" She insisted, trying to catch up with him, but he simply sped up, out of her and the reach of her grappling hook.

"Greatly esteemed chief of police, I am busy!" Toran replied, grunting out the words.

"Catch him!" Toph called out. "He can't be out of bed!"

"Chief Toph II, why have you let him out of bed?!" One nurse demanded.

"I didn't let him, he got away from me!" The old man in the wheelchair sped down the hallway, the wheels of his chair turning frantically, trying to keep up with his bending. The chair slid into an elevator, and he bent the doors shut, before Toph could get in after him. There was banging on the metal door, however it did not buckle under the frantic pounds of the metal bending chief. "Toran!"

"Avatar Toran, you must return to bed immediately!" Toran smirked, and bent the elevator down the shaft, his bones creaking in protest. It clicked into place on the ground floor, and he slid the doors open with a flick of his fingers. Sliding out on the chair, a few nurses looked up from their stations, but most just continued to work. The sight of the elderly Avatar was nothing new.

Toran headed for the doors, but immediately halted upon the sight of nearly running over a young woman.

"My!" She cried out, trying to move aside, but her heavily swollen belly not allowing for it. Toran backed up a way, and bowed his head to the young, Fire Nation woman.

"My apologies." He said, looking up at her. "I was not watching where I was going."

"Avatar Toran." The woman attempted to bow, but her pregnant belly got in the way once more. "It is an honour, and a privilege."

"No, no, the honour is all mine." He replied. "What is your name?"

"My name is Li Yang." She replied.

"When is your child due?" He asked.

"Soon, I suspect." She replied, hastily. "Especially from the kicks I am receiving from the little tyke." Toran let out a bark of laughter, and the woman allowed a small smile to spread across her face.

"May I?" He asked, reaching out his worn hands.

"I would be honoured." The woman allowed him to touch her belly, and the old Avatar moved his hands over it, feeling a slight kick. "Oh!" The woman gasped. "He likes you."

"Well, I like him. I am sure that he will grow up healthy and strong." Toran replied. Placing his hands either side of the belly, he bowed his head. "May Agni bless this child, and may Raava watch over him for as long as he may live."

"Many thanks, Avatar." The woman said, smiling at the blessing that he gave her child. "I am very hopeful that my child will grow up healthy and happy."

"I am sure that he will." The avatar replied. He removed his hands from her belly, resting them on the armrests on the wheelchair. "Do you have any plans on what you are going to call him?"

"Why, yes!" The woman exclaimed. "I want to name him Aang, after the legendary Avatar."

"That is an excellent choice, ma'am!" The elderly Avatar replied. "I've met the original Aang. Let us just say that he lived a fulfilling life, and that he is very… er… eloquent!" The woman got a faraway look in her eyes.

"That sounds… wonderful." The woman murmured. "My husband wishes to name him Zuko, after the two Fire Lords."

"I am sure that both of those names will do your young man justice, as they were both great, great men who I have always respected." Toran grunted out.

"Avatar Toran!" A shout came from behind him, and Toran immediately began to spin the wheels of his chair.

"My apologies, ma'am, I must be going!" He called out to the woman, and then swept through the doors of the hospital, the wheelchair groaning in protest at the abuse.

OOO

After many hours of rushing around the city on his wheelchair, Toran eventually found himself on the high observation deck of one of the soaring, silver towers of Republic City. He looked out over the sparkling blue bay, the sun beginning to set on the horizon, at Air Temple Island. It still had the Old Temple parts left, however it was dominated by the soaring, silver spires of the Air Nation. They glinted in the orange light of the sun, and if Toran squinted, he could make out the orange and red flashes of colour, soaring around the spires, the Airbenders.

He began to wish that he could fly out there, with them, even if it was just one more time. He knew that his time was coming, and he had next to no regrets.

No regrets, but one.

"Toran!" The call of the Chief of Police came from behind him, and Toran turned the wheelchair to regard Toph II with a wise, old eye. "I have been running around the city, all day, looking for you! For a man on his deathbed, you sure are sprightly!"

"What do you expect from an Avatar with regrets?" Toran asked, jovially.

"What regrets?" Toph asked.

"Your grandmother was a wonderful person, you know that?" Toran said. Toph bowed her head, but narrowed her eyes.

"Don't change the subject!" She insisted.

"I'm not." Toran replied. Toph's eyes widened.

"My… My grandmother… and… and you…" She whispered, half to herself. "Are you my grandfather?"

"No." Toran replied. "I could have been, but I blew it."

"That is a shame. You would have made a great grandfather." She whispered.

"Thank you, Toph." He replied, turning the wheelchair once more to face the setting sun. "But I would have never been around. I would have always been working, and I would have never spent any time with you."

"You're spending time with me now, aren't you?" She asked. Toran smiled.

"I guess I am." He replied.

"It's more time than my actual grandfather ever spent with me." She said, bitterness colouring her tone.

"Don't be like that, Toph." Toran told her. "You know, you were named after a great Earthbender, the first ever chief of police."

"I know. I've been told that my whole life. The original Toph was great. The original Toph was the greatest metal bender ever. The original Toph was blind, and she didn't let her hold that back." She muttered.

"You are your own person. Don't let the expectations of others define who you are, Toph. I know for a fact that the original Toph would have never let anyone force their own expectations on to her." Toran told her. Toph began to gently smile.

"Thanks, Gramps." She whispered. "I needed that."

"I know." He replied.

"Tell me. Did you meet the original Toph, or her spirit, I guess?" Toph asked.

"Once." Toran replied. "And your great, great, great, great, great grandmother is just as stoic, and incredible, and callous as you would expect from the matriarch of the famous Beifong clan."

"Really?" Toran didn't look back, but he knew her eyes were as round as saucers, the incredulity shining in them.

"Really." He told her. "It is something that I shall never forget. For as long as I may live, which is probably only a few more hours."

"Don't say that. I'll… We'll help you pull through it." Toran shook his head.

"It's predestined. I don't have many regrets, and the regrets that I do have cannot be solved in this lifetime." He said, simply. "I shall see our grandmother soon, Toph. And your great, great, great, great, great grandmother. I shall tell her what a wonderful person you are, how good you are at metalbending, earthbending and lavabending, and how much her memory should be honoured by you."

"You would do that?!" Toph almost whispered, almost croaked.

"Of course, Toph." Toran replied. "And she will be so, so proud of you. You know, from what I have heard, I do not think that Toph the original mastered Lavabending as well as you have."

"Really?" Toph asked. "I thought the original Toph knew all forms of earth bending. Like an Earth Goddess!"

"That's a little bit of an exaggeration." He smiled.

They sat there, in silence, for some time, just watching the orange sun set, and the lights begin to flicker on in the city, and then in the Air Temple Island. Toran knew his muscles and bones were weakening, his heart slowing down, as every single second passed.

"Tell me something." Toph muttered. "Why, for the last few weeks, you've been lying in a hospital bed, but today you decide that you want to do something?"

"I'm a crazy old man. Of course I choose the last day of my life to actually start doing something with it." Toran barked out a laugh. Toph grinned, and stood, her black armour jangling.

"Come on then, crazy old man. Let's go eat dinner down at Tiana's Palace, and then you can go back to your deathbed." She said, grabbing the back of his wheelchair and pushing him towards the elevator on the observation deck, now completely deserted.

OOO

Toran looked up at Toph's face, streaked with tears from her sightless eyes. He could no longer manage words, and simply squeezed the hand of the young chief of police.

"I don't want you to go." She whispered to him.

"Well… Well I do… I'm tired… Toph… so tired…" He whispered out, his hoarse, old voice barely able to form the sounds. "Thank… thank you for… for dinner…" She let out a laugh, that was muffled by tears.

"Anytime." She replied. "There isn't anything I can do to stop this?"

"I… I don't want you… you to." He whispered back.

"Why not?" She demanded.

"I… I told you…" He whispered. "Take care… take care of the new Avatar…"

"Of course I will." She replied. "I will look for him, and I won't stop searching until I find him."

"Don't… Don't look until I… I have been gone for… For fourteen years…" He told her. "Let… Let him have a normal… childhood."

"Fine." She whispered. "Anything you want. I can stop the White Lotus from looking until the boy turns fifteen. Is there anything else you know about him?"

"I… I am sorry… I… I do not know… anything more…. that could… help you." He struggled out. "It's almost… almost time…"

"I know." She whispered. The beeps of his heart monitor were fading into nothing, and he knew that his time was up. Allowing his eyes to slide shut softly, he simply listened to the sounds of his raspy, dying breaths.

"Toph Beifong II." He whispered, his voice faint on his last few breaths. "Thank you. You will be great, just like the original Toph. You _are_ great, better than the original Toph." His beeps picked up a notch, quicker and quicker. "Goodnight, sweetie." He felt the soft, warm liquid of tears splash onto his face, and that was the last thing he felt before everything faded into black.

OOO

On the other side of the hospital, a woman cried out, in pain. Then, the doctor, a young man in Water Tribe clothing, lifted the small, soft looking white boy with a tuft of black hair on his head into the air. The boy didn't cry, just opening his shocking, blue eyes, and regarding his mother.

"He's… He's perfect…" She whispered.

"What do you want to call him?" A young man beside the bed, also dressed in cool, Water Tribe clothing, with dark skin and blue eyes, his brown hair done up in a wolf's tail.

"I was thinking… Aang, but now that I see him… another name comes to mind." She replied.

"What is it, Li dear?" He asked.

"I want his name to be Zhiren." She told the man. He bowed his head.

"It's perfect." He told her. She nodded.

"It is, isn't it." She said. "Hey, Zhiren." She waved at him. "It's nice to meet you. The Avatar says you're going to have a long, happy life. I'm glad." On those words, the boy grinned up at her, his small, toothless mouth showing, and he giggled a little.

 **REVIEW!**

 **Please, I want to know what you all think of my new story, should I keep going?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the characters and the plot.**

"Sire, we need an heir!" One of the Lords, sitting on the council of the Fire Lord, Zuko II, demanded. Zuko shook his head.

"I know that. Can you give my wife and I a chance?" He demanded. "We have been married for but three weeks!"

"It is necessary for us to maintain order. We need someone that the Nation can look to, to see the heirship of the throne is in safe hands!" The man demanded, standing, and placing a fist on the table of the council room.

"It is in safe hands." A soft voice came from the door to the throne room, where the council meeting was taking place. All members of the council turned, to look towards the door, where a young woman was standing, dressed in regal red, with a hint of green on the edges of her dress.

"Lady Katara." There were bows, from all members of the council present. The woman nodded her head, her beautiful, lustrous locks of brown coiled around her head, and her green eyes sparkled with a hidden mischievousness. Her caramel skin almost shone in the half light, as the Fire Lord stood to receive his wife.

"What can I do for you, honey?" He asked.

"We have to talk." She replied. He nodded. "In private."

"Right." He nodded, again, and turned to the war council. "You may all be dismissed."

"Sire…" One began. Zuko shook his head.

"No. I wish to speak with my wife in private." The man bowed his head, and exited. Zuko walked around the table, and wrapped his arms around his new wife. "What is it, dear?"

"Well, very soon you shall have an heir." She murmured. Zuko's eyes widened.

"Are… Are you…" He tried.

"Perhaps I should say heiress, though." Katara mused.

"You're pregnant?" He managed. She nodded.

"Well, I think that's what I just implied, yes." She replied. Zuko let out a laugh.

"That's wonderful, love." He murmured, into her ear. "I'm so happy."

"So am I." She replied. "I thought you might be angry with the fact that it is a girl that we are going to have."

"I am saddened that you would think so lowly of me, my dear." He replied. "I am delighted, whether it be girl or boy. It does not matter to me."

"But it matters to some people." She replied.

"Not to me." He murmured.

"Will my child be safe, Zuko?" She asked.

"Of course. I'll crush anyone who tries to take her from us. I love her already, as much as I love you." He whispered.

"Thank you." She replied.

OOO

Zuko II had always taken pride in the fact that he was a popular, good Fire Lord. He had never been a great Firebender, at least not compared to the original Zuko, but he was one of the best in the Fire Nation.

His Nation had improved, modernised, since the days of his predecessor, but it was still behind Republic City in terms of modern development. Looking out on the skyline of Caldera City, a hub of economical success and ancient customs mixing together, he couldn't help but feel pride for his nation and its successes since the Hundred Years War.

"Hello, dear." He turned to see the familiar green eyes of his wife, the Fire Lady Katara, named after the famous war hero, wife of Avatar Aang.

"Hello, Katara." She sat down next to him, her pregnant belly making the trip difficult, so he offered her a hand to sit down next to him, beside the turtle duck pond, now a historical site, famous within the palace. It had been treasured by the original Zuko, apparently. "Is something the matter?"

"Nothing." She replied. "I was actually wondering if something was wrong with you."

"Why do you say that?" He asked.

"There is a look, that you get in your eyes." She replied.

"I'm just worrying." He muttered.

"Worrying about what?" She asked, gently.

"I'm worried about you, about the baby, about our country…" He trailed off. She gently wound a hand around his neck.

"You're worrying for nothing. We're going to have a beautiful, baby girl, who loves us, and we are going to love her too." He smiled.

"I know. I'm just worried. There are people out there who didn't want me on the throne, that think the Fire Nation should be more modern, and have a president, or a council. They might try to kill her. There are people out there who won't want a girl on the throne. We haven't had a woman ruler since Izumi, and, well you know what happened to her. And before that, there was Azula, and she went crazy." He replied, his voice growing steadily louder and louder.

"Zuko, you're worrying over nothing!" She insisted. "We'll deal with that when the issue arises. And as for the Fire Nation people who think we should have a president, that is a tiny faction of rebels, Ozai extremists. The rest of the Fire Nation recognises you as a wise and benevolent ruler, and even if we were to become a democracy, they would elect you as President. You know that."

"I know." He replied. "I'm just nervous. What if they decide to turn violent? What if they decide to take it out on my supporters? I am risking the lives of millions of my people, just to keep the old ways."

"The old ways are right. They are wise, and they are timeless. You know that." She told him. "Everyone, except a few extremists, in the Fire Nation knows that."

"Indeed. How are you always right?" He asked, grinning up at her.

"Well, for starters, I am named after one of the wisest and most benevolent women in history." She grinned back.

"Ah yes. The legendary Lady Katara Water Tribe." He said. "Well, I am named after one of the wisest and most benevolent Fire Lords in history."

"You are just as wise and benevolent as Fire Lord Zuko I."

"Thank you, dear." He replied. "But not many think like that." Distracting the conversation, he changed the subject. "What do you want to call her?"

"I'm not sure. Do you want to pick out a name?" She asked.

"I don't have a name in mind." He replied. "How about Mulan?"

"I'm not sure. It sounds too Earth Kingdom." She replied.

"That's why I suggested it. I thought you might want a name like that for your daughter." He replied.

"She's going to be Fire Lord. We should pick a Fire Nation name." She replied.

"It's not just about the Fire Nation, you know. She's still our daughter." He replied.

"She is our daughter, but she is also the daughter of the Fire Nation. As she grows up, all the eyes in the world will be on her, and she will be expected to be the perfect Princess of Fire. The least we can do is give her a chance at that by giving her a perfect, Fire Nation name." She replied. Zuko bowed his head.

"I suppose that you are right. Saya is a traditional Fire Nation name, and so is Misaki. Or we could even name her Azula." He began to list off Fire Nation names. "Of course, there is always the Fire Nation Avatar-Prince, Kadar, the female form of which is Kadaria…" He continued with his list, but his wife cut him off.

"What was that last one, about the Avatar-Prince?" She asked.

"Oh!" He exclaimed, looking at her. "Well, a long, long, long time ago, about a thousand years before the time of Avatar Aang, there was a Fire Nation Prince who was the Avatar. His name was Prince Kadar, and he became Fire Lord, while at the same time being the Avatar."

"That's amazing." She said.

"What is?" Zuko asked, scratching his head. "The story? It was actually quite common, In fact, the Fire Nation Royal Family is actually generationally synced with the Avatar cycle, in that each Avatar incarnation often comes with a Fire Nation heir who is the same age as they are. In the current Avatar's case, Toran, it was my grandfather, Fire Lord Hitomi. Sometimes, when the Avatar cycle reaches the Fire element, they are so in sync that the Avatar is also the heir to the Fire Nation…" His wife cut off his mumblings.

"Not the story. I know that it is common. I meant the name." She said.

"What? Kadaria?" He asked. "It is a nice name. I never really stopped to consider it, but the name is nice, isn't it. There's a certain ring to it, that sounds very regal, benevolent, but at the same time, very Fire Nation."

"It's perfect." She whispered. "I love it."

"I love it too." Zuko murmured. "If you want to name our daughter Kadaria, I fully approve. It is perfect."

OOO

The nurse rushed down the halls of the Fire Palace, towards the Throne Room where the Fire Lord, Zuko II, was awaiting news of his wife, the Fire Lady Katara, of the Earth Kingdom.

"My Lord! My Lord!" The woman called out to the black haired man, over the spitting sounds of the red and orange flames at the base of his throne.

"What is it?" The man demanded, stepping down from the throne, and extinguishing the flames.

"Your wife, Lord Zuko, she has given birth! You must come right away!" The Lord of Fire rushed towards the door, his long cloak dragging on the floor behind him, and his black beard swinging.

"Fire Lord Zuko!" A messenger arrived at the door, halting Zuko in his footsteps.

"What is it?!" The Fire Lord demanded, resisting the urge to simply push past the man to get to his wife.

"It's the Avatar, Sire." Zuko gritted his teeth.

"What does the crazy old man want now? I'm busy! Can't it wait?" He demanded.

"Nothing, Sire. The Avatar Toran has passed away." Zuko blanched white, turning to grab the messenger by the collar.

"What do you mean?" He demanded.

"Ava… Avatar Toran… passed away… peacefully in his… in his sleep…" The messenger mumbled, shaking in fright of the angry Fire Lord.

"Why was I not informed of this earlier?!" He demanded.

"He has only just passed away, but a few moments ago. We received the message from Republic City, and brought it to you as soon as we could." Zuko dropped the messenger.

"Excuse me." He muttered. "I need to go see my wife."

"Sire, the Lady Katara has given birth." The nurse replied. "But moments ago."

"I really need to go." With that, the Fire Lord swept out of the room, his red clock trailing, and he strode down the hallway, towards the medical wing of the palace.

"Sire, is it wise…" The nurse hurried after him, but he simply picked up his steps until he was striding far in front of the water tribe healer.

"I would like to see my daughter." He shot at her, turning a corner. All the nurses backed away from the curtain, as he swept it aside to the sight of his beautiful wife, laying on the bed, a small bundle wrapped in red held tightly in her arms. "Love." He swept over to her side, kissing her on the cheek, then peering down at the small bundle. She had caramel skin, just like her mother, and the most shocking, golden eyes he had ever seen on a Fire Nation child. On her head was a small tuft of… "Red hair?" He asked.

"My mother had red hair." The Fire Lady replied, by way of explanation. "It's a recessive gene, skips one generation. I didn't realise that she would have it."

"It's very… fitting." He replied, reaching out a finger. The young girl reached out a small, soft hand of her own, wrapping it around his finger. He immediately realised that she was strong, strong enough so that her grip was actually quite tight. Then, he realised her hands were hot. "Ow…" He whispered, pulling his finger out of her grip, with some difficulty.

"What's wrong?" Her mother asked.

"She's definitely a firebender." He replied, and they watched as she hiccuped, and a small burst of flame hissed out of her mouth. They both laughed at the sight of the small girl's hiccup dissolving into the air.

"Definitely." He remoter replied. "I'm glad. It wouldn't do to have a Fir eLord who couldn't bend Fire."

"Do you still want to call her Kadaria?" Zuko asked Katara.

"Yes. It's even more perfect for her, now that I see her." The Fire Lady replied.

"I completely agree." Zuko smiled.

"She will be great, just like the Avatar-Prince Kadar." Katara looked down at the small, strong bundle.

"Which reminds me, Avatar Toran has passed away." Zuko murmured in his wife's ear. His wife's eyes widened, then saddened.

"I'm so, so sorry to hear that." She replied. "Will we go to the funeral?"

"It is being held as soon as possible. Do you think you're up to it?" Zuko asked.

"I am." She replied. "It is only right that we go to his funeral, not only as the Fire Lord and Lady, but as his friends."

OOO

The Fire Council was in complete anarchy, as the Fire Lord Zuko II strode into the room. He held up a hand for silence, and the room immediately fell. You could have heard a pin drop.

"All of you!" Fire Lord Zuko II snapped. "Quiet, please!"

"Our apologies, Sire." One muttered.

"Apology accepted. Now, what is it that you wish to discuss, that called me away from my wife and new daughter?!" He demanded.

"Ah yes. Daughter. That is what we wish to discuss with you." One minister stood. "We need to discuss the next Avatar?"

"What about him, or her?" Zuko asked, trying to keep his anger at them to a minimum.

"Is it possible that Kadaria…" Zuko shot the man a look. "My apologies, the Crown Princess Kadaria is the Avatar?"

"We are unsure." Zuko replied. "We know that she is a Firebender, and from the looks of it, she will be a very strong one, too. However, it is not clear yet."

"Sire, should we not test her? If she is the Avatar, this could be an incredible opportunity…" Zuko turned his gaze on the man.

"You will not be testing my daughter!" He shot at the man. "My daughter, if she is the Avatar, will be allowed to live a normal life, at least, as normal as the life of a Princess of the Fire Nation can be, until the age of twelve, when it is traditionally stated that she will be tested for being the Avatar!"

"But, Sire…" Another began.

"No!" Zuko snapped. "My daughter will not be tested until she is twelve, and you are not to speak another word of this to anyone else, am I understood?"

"Yes, Sire." They chorused. Zuko turned, and swept out of the room, but paused in the doorway.

"Also, if any of you interrupts me further, until a time that I deem it unavoid… suitable, I will not hesitate to remove them from this advisory council." With that, he moved out of the room, but was stopped in the hallway by his wife, who grabbed his arm, and pulled him into a side room. "What is happening?!"

"Zuko, you didn't tell me!" Katara hissed at him. He looked back at her.

"Didn't tell you what?" He asked, confused.

"You didn't tell me that our daughter could be the Avatar!" Zuko stood, sighing.

"I'm sorry, but I hadn't even considered it a possibility. I was too focused on Kadaria, to realise that it may be a possibility."

"What if she is?!" Katara looked away, and begun to pace. "This is bad. This is really, really bad. If she's the Avatar, and the Crown Princess, then… then… That's just so much responsibility…"

"Calm down!" Zuko snapped, grabbing her and holding her tight against his chest. "It's going to be fine."

"What are we going to do?!" She whispered.

"We'll be fine. Kadaria will be fine. If she is the Avatar, then, just like Kadar, she can balance it. She's going to master Fire, and if it turns out that she is the Avatar, then she can choose whether or not to be the Avatar, or to be both the Fire Nation Princess, and the Avatar! She can choose. If it's too much responsibility to be both, she only has to be the Avatar. We'll find another heir." He told her. She seemed to smile, seemed to be comforted by that. She huddled into his chest, as they knelt there on the floor. But it left Zuko to his own thoughts.

He knew the truth. It was too late. He knew that there was no other heir. There was no other option. If Kadaria was the Avatar, she would have to do, to be both the Fire Nation Crown Princess, and the Avatar.

He hugged Katara tighter, and hoped to Agni.

 **AN: Please review guys, it really means a lot to me! If you want this story to keep going, then I need some motivation!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I'm terrible. I really am. I've had this chapter sitting on my computer for like six months, and I've just completely forgotten. I feel terrible. I really want to make this story go places, I'm also in Year Eleven, so ATAR (that's the Australian SATs or A-levels) is catching up with me lol.**

3\. Aeris:

Zhiren looked over his shoulder, as his mother hurtled down the stairs of their apartment in Republic City. He rolled his blue eyes, as she pressed a huge, sloppy kiss to his cheek.

"Mum!" He groaned. "Stop it!"

"No!" She childishly pouted. "My big boy's turning fifteen!"

"I know. It's a momentous occasion, and all that junk…" He muttered. He pulled the small phone out of his pocket, flicking it on with a touch of chi. "I have to go!" He exclaimed. "I'm gonna be late!"

"Go! Go!" His mother practically pushed him out the door, and he shoved the phone back into his pocket. "Love you!"

"Luh you too!" He cried back, running down the street. Flicking his other bag strap over his shoulder, he ran towards the bus stop where he could see the metal bending bus was pulling up. "Wait! Wait!" He called out, trying to run faster to catch the bus. It slowed, and then ground to a halt, and he jumped aboard. "Morning." He bobbed his head to the pair of metal benders at the back, then moved forwards, and took a seat next to a girl in glasses. "Don't mind me."

"Zhiren." The girl muttered, flicking her glasses further up her nose.

"Morning to you too, grumpy guts." He replied, rolling his blue eyes once more.

"I have a name, you know." She replied.

"I know, Song, I just don't use it!" Song rolled her eyes, and then flicked her glasses even further up her nose. Zhiren felt a tap on his shoulder, and looked over to see Xiang sitting behind him. Today, the Water Tribe boy had his hair up in a greasy looking mohawk, and dyed purple.

"Hey, Zhiren." The boy muttered.

"Your mum is going to kill you, Xiang." He said, smirking.

"I know. I also don't care." Zhiren rolled his eyes, and turned back to the front. He opened his bag, on his lap, and peered inside, until he realised something.

"Crap. I forgot my diary." He hissed. He looked over at Song. "What's happening today?"

"Nothing much." She muttered. "Oh, there's assembly in period 5, and I heard something about Avatar testing in Period 2 for everyone who's turned 15 this week."

"Avatar testing?" Zhiren asked. Song nodded.

"Yeah. It's for all people in the school who turned fifteen this week, and who have Fire Nation heritage." Zhiren rolled his eyes.

"That's pretty much everyone in the grade." He replied. "I mean, we go to the Fire Academy's Republic City branch."

"That's not the point. Not all people in Republic City are Fire Nation, and there's only one Avatar." Zhiren nodded, and looked out the window, before he realised something.

"Wait. I thought that the Crown Fire Princess, Kadaria, was the Avatar." Song rolled her eyes.

"Oh yes. The Crush Queen of every single boy in the universe!" She muttered, sarcastically.

"Aww, come on, Song." The drawling voice of Li sounded from behind them, next to Xiang. Zhiren turned to see his friend with the blonde locks and baby blue eyes flick his hair. "You always say that none of us have a shot with her, but I don't know. I am pretty hot."

"Shut up, Li." Zhiren rolled his eyes. "You don't have a shot with a Princess. You're a peasant from Republic City, the most boring place in the known universe!"

"I'm offended, Zhiren!" He exclaimed. "I am not a peasant, and even if I was, I'm one hot peasant!" Zhiren rolled his eyes again.

"Between you and your ego, I'm shocked that we can all fit into one bus." Zhiren said, smirking.

"Ooh, burn!" Xiang said, grinning.

"That was a good one." Muttered Song, pushing her glasses even further up her nose.

"That's mean, Zhiren." Li pouted, flicking a piece of his blonde hair out of his eyes. Zhiren just shook his head, and turn to face the front of the bus, blowing a piece of his black, untrimmed bangs out of his blue eyes. He looked out the window, up at the tall, silver towers of Republic City, the high speed trains shooting around the towers on their elevated monorails.

Turning back to his bag, he pulled out his phone once more, and opening it up, he logged onto the Fire Academy website, and looked through the calendar. Song was right. There was Avatar testing today.

Zhiren knew that he wasn't the Avatar. That much was clear. He was a pretty lousy Firebender, he could only really heat stuff, not create actual flames. But Bending wasn't really in style at the moment, so it didn't really matter. He knew that many jobs required for you to have some form of bending, so he knew he was lucky that he had bending at all.

"Hey Song. What I said before. You didn't answer my question." He muttered to the brown haired girl next to him.

"I don't know what you mean, actually." Song replied, haughtily. Zhiren smirked, and then turned back to his phone. He looked up his question, typing it into the search engine, and it came up with a bunch of news results. Tapping on the first one, he read it through quickly.

"Song, look." He shoved it under her nose. "Early in her life, it was thought that the Crown Princess of the Fire Nation, Kadaria, may be the Avatar, but it is now known that she is not the Avatar, simply a highly skilled Firebender."

"Oh great. The Crush Queen is not the Avatar!" She said, sarcastically.

"Are you jealous of her, Song?!" Zhiren nudged her, laughing.

"Of course I'm jealous! She's a freaking Princess, and I'm just a normal girl, with normal parents, and my life is never going to be special!" Song exclaimed.

"I think you should be happy with a normal life, Song." Zhiren said. "Your parents love you, you're not poor, you can be smart when you want…" He listed off things that he liked about Song, but she just turned up her nose.

"That's easy for you to say, Zhiren. You're a genius, and you're a Firebender. You're gonna grow up, and become a businessman, then you're gonna get to go to Caldera City, and live a life of luxury, with a great job and a pretty wife!" he exclaimed, her glasses falling down her face. She turned away, rolling her eyes, and crossing her arms. She pushed her glasses back up onto her nose.

"Look, Song, we're almost here." He nudged her, and she simply stood, and flicked her bag onto her back. She strode off, towards the back of the bus, thanking the metal benders at the back. She stepped off, and Zhiren stood, pulling his bag on, until he felt a nudge in his back.

"Song mad at you, huh?" Li asked, his blue eyes meeting Zhiren's. Zhiren rolled his eyes.

"Yeah." He muttered.

"What did you do this time?" He shrugged.

"I don't know." He replied, and then strode off down the bus.

OOO

Zhiren sat next to Xiang in Maths, listening to the maths teacher speak about parabolic calculations, but not really paying much attention. It was review for him, he had done the work quite some time ago.

"Hey, Zhiren." His friend whispered to him. "Are you doing Avatar testing next period?"

"Yeah." He replied. "My birthday's today."

"Mine was on Monday." Xiang said. "I have to do them. I'm not a Firebender though."

"Apparently, you don't have to have previous bending to be the Avatar. You could have recessive bending, and you'll just learn all the elements." Zhiren replied. "I wouldn't worry about it."

"Do you think the test is going to be our bending?" Xiang asked.

"I don't think so. If it is, I'm screwed." Zhiren replied. "I can still only heat things, I can't even create one measly flame."

"Dare you to heat the teacher's…" He was cut off by the teacher.

"Zhiren. you look like you're paying attention. Come here." Zhiren stood, and walked up to the teacher's board.

"What is it, sir?" He asked.

"Here is a rule. I want you to sketch the parabola it forms on these axis." Zhiren nodded, taking a pen from the rail. "Walk us through it."

"Okay, that's easy." He lifted the pen up, and pointed to the rule, which had a negative inside of the brackets. "So, inside the brackets, that number moves the x-coordinate of the turning point horizontally from the coordinates of the turning point of x-squared, and because it's negative, we move left." He marked the x-axis. "Outside the brackets, that number moves the turning point vertically from the coordinates of the turning point of x-squared, and it's positive, so we move the point upwards. So, the turning point is three, two." He reached for the parabola outline, and placed it on the board, the turning point placed over the point he had sketched out. He traced the shape, and then put the parabola down, and turned, placing the marker back int he teacher's hand.

"Thank you, Zhiren." He muttered.

"You're welcome." He replied. He turned, and theatrically bowed to the class, who all let out peals of laughter. He strode off, sitting back down next to Xiang. "That was fun." He remarked.

"It's not fair." Xiang muttered. "You're a freaking genius."

"No, not really." He replied. "My dad just taught me all this suff when I was younger."

"See. Genius." He re-stated.

"Nope. Just good at remembering shit." He said, shaking his head.

"Beside the point." Xiang muttered.

"Come on, Xiang. You're in the top class too. You have to be smart." Xiang rolled his eyes.

"It's only because I did well in the last test. I reckon I'm gonna fail this next test, and then I'll be shoved back down." Zhiren smiled.

"Yeah. Song was pissed when you beat her out of the top class." Xiang rolled his eyes.

"She's all over you. She has this huge crush on you, I know it." He hissed back.

"Who? Song?" Zhiren shook his head. "Impossible."

"Nope. It's written all over her face." Xiang shot back.

"I don't believe you." He replied.

OOO

Period 2 rolled around, and everyone who had a birthday was taken out of class, and sent down to the grand school hall where a bunch of boys his age were waiting, alongside a man dressed in odd, white and blue clothing.

"Line up!" The man ordered. Zhiren noticed that an area of the room was sectioned off, "My name is Kuzon, and I am a member of the Fire Nation branch of the White Lotus, the order that is dedicated to serving the Avatar."

"I've heard of them." Zhiren hissed at Xiang. "They're like, really, really old people, mostly benders, who teach the Avatar. I think, you know Fire Lord Zuko I, he was one of them, so was the original Iroh."

"That's cool." Xiang shrugged. "You pay attention in history. Shocking."

"Of course I do. Some of that stuff is really interesting, and it's important." Zhiren replied.

"Zhiren Cheuk!" The voice of a teacher called out his name, and Zhiren stepped forwards.

"Go get em'." Xiang nudged him. Zhiren rolled his eyes.

"I'm not the Avatar. It's impossible." He said. He strode forwards, and the White Lotus man pushed him behind the curtain. In front of him spread thousands and thousands of toys, artefacts, and odd pieces of jewellery.

"This way, please." The man muttered, leading him towards a set of four cloths. He sat down in front of them, as the man pushed him down.

"I thought you were going to test our bending?" Zhiren questioned, raising one eyebrow. The White Lotus member shook his head.

"No. We don't need to test your bending, because it doesn't matter what your bending is like. You'll learn all that, if you're the Avatar." He replied.

"Okay." Zhiren nodded. "So, what do I do?"

"Simple. You look around the room, and if you see four items that you recognise, place them on these pieces of cloth." Zhiren nodded.

"That sounds easy enough." He stood, and looked around at all the toys, rowed neatly. He examined them all, and then he saw it. On the end of the third row, there was a small rock, green, with pretty golden flecks through it. Immediately, his mind was washed with memories.

"This is for you, Toran!" A young girl, her brown hair flying in the wind, handed it to him.

"That's a lovely jewel, Toran." An older man, looking at the jewel.

"Wow! Where did you find that?" A younger girl, gasping at the sight of it.

"How much do you want for it, kiddo?" An older man, his black hair beginning to grey, stared at him with black, piggy eyes. Zhiren felt incredible protective of the jewel, suddenly.

The final memory was looking at it, on his bedside table, and then back up at the face of a young, blind girl, as the world faded to black.

Zhiren realised that he had snatched up the stone, and his hands were shaking. He opened his eyes, and looked at the White Lotus member, who had one eyebrow raised.

"Is something wrong?" He asked. Zhiren shook his head.

"No. I just recognise this one." He placed it down on one of the pieces of cloth. Standing up, he looked around the room again. Over in the middle of the second row, he saw a piece of brown skin with a white fur trim. It looked like it went around the waist. He walked over to it, and picked it up. Once more, he was swamped with memories.

"I'm the Avatar, and you gotta deal with it!" A small girl jumped around, the piece of brown skin wrapped around her hips flapping, as she bent water, earth and fire.

"I'm not sure how my earth bending will translate to your water bending, but I'm sure we'll figure it out…" A boy with green eyes and brown hair frowned in front of him.

"Not a problem." Zhiren was shocked by the sound of his own voice, a woman's voice, but one that he recognised. "I'm actually an earthbender."

"I'm sorry, no, no, I didn't mean to assume, I just, you know, figured, that with your water tribe getup, that you were, you know, a water tribe… gal…" He trailed off, confused.

"Nope, you're right." He realised he had his arms crossed on his chest. "I'm a Waterbender. And a Firebender."

"Mmm." He had his hand on his chin, and looked very confused. "Mmm hmm. I'm very confused right now."

"You're the Avatar, and I'm an idiot." Another boy, over in a darker corner, removing his gear, rolled his eyes.

"Both are true." He shrugged.

The next memory was of an open battlefield, facing a huge robot.

"Go, Korra, before Kuvira realises that you are here!" Zhiren felt himself nod, and then head for the opening of the tent. Glancing back inside at the man he recognised as a Prince of the Fire Nation, and yet not remembering him, he strode out, then took off on an Airbender's glider. The pelt flicked around in the wind.

Zhiren took up the pelt, and stared at it, for a long moment, before striding back over to the cloth pieces, and placing the pelt down on the next one. He caught a glimpse of the White Lotus member, whose eyes were wide.

"Is something wrong?" Zhiren asked. The White Lotus member opened his mouth, but then slammed it shut again, and shook his head. Zhiren shrugged, and moved back to the pieces. He looked around.

There.

In the fourth row, two from the left, there was a long staff. Zhiren walked over to it, and picked it up, staring at it for a long moment. The memories swamped him.

"You muzzled Appa!" He roared, his voice echoing with the voices of a thousand ages. Out of the top of the staff that he had seen, a huge gust of wind blew towards an odd, sailboat looking thing, sitting on top of the sand.

"I'm sorry!" One of the men shouted. "I didn't know it belonged to the Avatar!"

"Tell me where Appa is!" He roared.

The next memory faded in.

The Avatar rose, in a bright white beam of light. His eyes, and the arrows that Zhiren recognised from somewhere glowed with an ethereal, white light.

Then, there was a bolt of lightning, bright as the beam of light. It struck the Avatar.

The Avatar fell.

Zhiren fell back, clutching the staff, as the memory of pain overwhelmed him. Shaking, he stood once more, and walked over to the cloth, placing the staff down. Again, he caught a glimpse of the White Lotus man, his eyes wide, and his mouth hanging open. With a smirk, he strode over to the man, and pushed the mouth shut. He swept away, and looked around the toys. There was one more that he had to find. One more.

Then, he saw it.

In the last row, a beautiful hairpiece with two, twin flames of gold on either side of a ring, with a spoke pushed through it. Zhiren hurried over to the crown thing, and picked it up.

"Sozin!" A yell.

"The volcano, it's going off!"

"My dear Pema…"

"Roku…" A warning colouring the voice of an older man.

"This is it!"

Those memories were fainter, but they were still strong. This was the final one. He walked over to the cloth, gently placing down the piece that he realised was the crown of the Fire Prince or Princess.

"I'm done." He muttered.

"Th… Thank you…" The White Lotus member shook.

"May I ask you something?" Zhiren stood, turning to look at the man, shaking in his boots.

"What is it, Av… Zhiren?" The man asked.

"When I touched those objects. I saw things. I saw a woman named Korra, and a man named Toran, as well as memories from another Airbender man, who I think is the Avatar. Also, there was a Fire Nation man named Roku." The White Lotus man bowed his head.

"It happens sometimes. Are you a bender?" He asked, but the tone of his voice sounded rehearsed.

"I am a firebender, but I'm not a very good one." He replied.

"Well, that is just a vision from the Spirit World. Don't worry about it." He muttered. The line sounded very, very rehearsed. Zhiren nodded, and turned to walk out, still pondering the experience.

"How'd it go?" Xiang asked.

"Fine, I think. The White Lotus man said something about the visions that I saw being a gift from the Spirit World. That's pretty cool." Zhiren replied. "I saw visions of the past Avatars. I even saw Aang!"

"That's amazing!" Xiang exclaimed. "So, so cool. Like, can you see into the past and the future now?"

"I don't think so. Those artefacts are just really spirity, I guess." Zhiren muttered.

"Artefacts?" Xiang asked.

"Yeah. I don't think I can tell you much more than that. But, good luck. You'll probably see the visions too." Zhiren replied. "I'm going to break." He waved a hand, then walked out of the room.

OOO

A few minutes later, Xiang emerged from the room, and walked out to break.

"Hey, Xiang!" Zhiren called out to him, waving. He made his way over, and sat down on the bench next to him, across on the wooden table from Song and Li.

"Hey, guys, Zhiren." Zhiren shoved the boy.

"So, how did it go?" He asked.

"Fine, I guess." Zhiren looked at him.

"Did you see the visions too?" Xiang shook his head.

"Nope." He replied. "They asked me to pick out four of the artefacts, and I picked the first ones that I saw. None of them gave me visions, or anything. You're going crazy. Crazy old man."

Zhiren's mind got swamped with memories, all of a sudden.

"Come on then, crazy old man. Let's go eat dinner down at Tiana's Palace, and then you can go back to your deathbed."

He tried to shake it off, shrugging.

"I'm not old!" He said, rolling his eyes.

"Well, you're crazy!" Zhiren shoved Xiang.

"That's mean. Also, what are you going to do about your hair. I can see the Principal making his way over!" Zhiren threatened.

"Shit!" Xiang exclaimed, rolling under the table.

OOO

Period Five rolled around, as did Assembly. The entire school gathered in the hall, where this morning, there had been the Avatar Testing. But Zhiren wasn't thinking about that. His mind had gone blank, as he stared across the room at the girl he had been watching since she arrived. Anji. She had brown hair, and blue eyes, but her skin was as pale as his own. He felt Xiang nudge him.

"You lookin' at Anji?" He asked.

"No!" Zhiren shook his head, and looked away, but blushed a bright shade of red. Xiang smirked, and nudged him again.

"She's hot." He muttered.

"Nowhere near as hot as my dear sweet Kadaria!" Zhiren rolled his eyes at the sound of Li's annoying voice.

"Shut up, Li. She's not your dear sweet Kadaria, she's the Crown Princess of the Fire Nation!" Zhiren muttered back, shoving the boy, until he caught the glare of his maths teacher. He let go of Li, pushing the other boy away from him. "Also, she's not a princess, so of course she's not as hot."

"Ooh, girls don't like it when you say they aren't as hot as someone else." Song nudged him. He rolled his eyes.

"Well, sorry." He muttered back.

"Say that to your little crush over there." She replied.

"Ahem!" The sound of a teacher's voice came from behind them, and Zhiren moved away from Song.

"Everyone stand for the Fire Nation oath!" They all stood, as a girl on stage recited the oath of the Fire Nation.

"My life I give to my country. With my ears I learn for Fire Lord Zuko II and his forefathers before him. With my mind I seek ways to better the world, and with my feet may our March of Civilisation continue." Zhiren droned, rolling his eyes at the outdated sentiment.

"First of all, we have some notices from the Principal. Please welcome Principal Wu." There were some half hearted claps, as the elderly principal stepped up onto the stage, behind the podium.

"Welcome, everybody." The Principal bowed the traditional Fire Nation bow. "I have some notices about uniform. I have noticed some…" On the word some, he cast a withering glance in Xiang's direction. "People, who have been breaching our uniform code. So, I am going to go over it once must wear our black blazer, the white shirt, the black and gold tie, and the black pants. Your shoes must be polished, and your pants cannot be rolled up so you can see your socks. Is this understood? Girls, your uniforms are excellent, just make sure your skirts are not too far…" He was interrupted by what seemed like the entire White Lotus sect, who barged up onto the stage. A man with white hair took the microphone.

"My apologies, Mr Wu." The man said. "And apologies for interrupting your Assembly. My name is Grand Lotus Cheng."

"What is the meaning of this?!" Principal Wu demanded, his eyes raging.

"I am here for the announcement of the new Avatar. The new Avatar has been found in this school!" He said.

"Oh. My. God!" Song practically screamed in his ear. "Who do you think it is? Who do you think it is?"

"I'm not sure, Song." Zhiren hissed back.

"Bao, maybe? Or Guang, he's a really good Firebender… Maybe it's Tori, or…" She continued to list off names, until she paused, and her face went white. "Maybe it's you?!" She squealed. Zhiren shook his head.

"Impossible. I couldn't be the Avatar." He muttered. "I'm half Water Tribe."

"That doesn't matter!" She replied. "You could be the Avatar, 'cause your mother's Fire Nation, and you're technically a Firebender."

"If I was the Avatar, I would be better at Firebending, don't you think?" Song shrugged.

"I dunno!" She replied.

"I'm not the Avatar. Calm down, Song." He said.

"You… You found the Avatar. Here?" Prinicpal Wu was asking, over the din that had arisen in the hall.

"Yes. We're here to take him to the South Pole." Grand Lotus Cheng replied.

"Who is it?" Principal Wu raised the question that was on everyone's mind.

"His name is Zhiren. Zhiren Cheuk."

Immediately, silence fell in the hall. All eyes turned towards him, and Zhiren quailed under the looks of everyone in the room.

But the words kept replaying, over and over in his head.

It was impossible, for him to be the Avatar. It was impossible. It was impossible. It was impossible. It was impossible.

Right?

"Here he is!" The sound of Li's shocked voice brought him out of his daze. He stepped forwards, standing up out of his chair.

"Are you sure?!" He called up.

"You picked the four toys that once belonged to the past Avatars. You are the Avatar." Slowly, everyone in the room slid off their seats, and down to the floor. Zhiren found himself in a room, full of people on their knees, bowing to the Avatar.

Bowing to him.

 **A/N: Please Review, I know it's been an age, but I'd really like to know what you all think.**


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